Tag: university of western ontario
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Could probiotics help save honey bee colonies from collapse?
Probiotics, beneficial microorganisms best known for promoting gut health in humans, are now being used by Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute scientists to save honey bee colonies from collapse. A new study published in the Nature journal ISME J demonstrates how probiotics could potentially stave off a common bacterial hive infestation called American Foulbrood. “Probiotics aren’t just for humans,” said…
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New green bioreactors could produce pharmaceuticals in a way that is much more affordable than current methods
Researchers at Western University and Lawson Health Research Institute are using tobacco plants as ‘green bioreactors’ to produce an anti-inflammatory protein with powerful therapeutic potential. The plants are being used to produce large quantities of a human protein called Interleukin 37, or IL-37. The protein is naturally produced in the human kidney in very small quantities and has powerful…
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Smart knee implants can provide doctors with regular activity updates and are powered by the patient’s movement
SMART, SELF-POWERED KNEE IMPLANTS COULD REDUCE NUMBER OF KNEE REPLACEMENT SURGERIES Smart knee implants may soon be a reality thanks to research done by Binghamton University, Stony Brook University and the University of Western Ontario.Knee replacement surgery is the most common joint replacement procedure, with the number of surgeries increasing every year. Many of those…
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A clinically validated 3D-printed stethoscope costs $3 to produce and can be a lifesaver in areas of the world where other medical technology is scarce
Dr. Tarek Loubani has worked as an emergency room physician in hospitals during some of their most desperate times. In 2012, he was practising in a hospital in Gaza, and found himself sharing his one stethoscope with ten other doctors who were trying to treat more than 100 patients. “We weren’t just low on medical…
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Is healthy aging predicated by the bacteria in your gut?
In one of the largest microbiota studies conducted in humans, researchers at Western University,Lawson Health Research Institute and Tianyi Health Science Institute in Zhenjiang, Jiangsu, China have shown a potential link between healthy aging and a healthy gut. With the establishment of the China-Canada Institute, the researchers studied the gut bacteria in a cohort of more than…
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Dark Energy Camera Looks Both Near and Far
The Dark Energy Camera does more than its name would lead you to believe The Dark Energy Camera, or DECam, peers deep into space from its mount on the 4-meter Victor Blanco Telescope high in the Chilean Andes. Thirty percent of the camera’s observing time—about 105 nights per year—go to the team that built it:…
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Dispute Over the Future of Basic Research in Canada
University scientists and academic organizations are uncharacteristically vocal about the government’s blunt preference for commercially applicable science Canada’s National Research Council is the country’s premier scientific institution, helping to produce such inventions as the pacemaker and the robotic arm used on the American space shuttle. But last year, its mission changed. The Canadian government announced…
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MS breakthrough for Western team
London scientists have made a breakthrough fighting the scourge of multiple sclerosis, fine-tuning MRIs to detect the disease before it ravages its victims. “This could be a real game-changer,” said Dr. Bruce Bebo, who this year will decide how to invest $50 million in research raised by the National MS Society in the United States. Bebo…
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Small brain biopsies can be used to grow large numbers of patient’s own brain cells
New research in The FASEB Journal suggests that these lab-grown cells express a broad array of natural and potent protective agents providing preservation and protection against injury, toxins and diseases A group of really brainy scientists have moved closer to growing “therapeutic” brain cells in the laboratory that can be re-integrated back into patients’ brains…
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HIV/AIDS breakthrough
The first of its kind in terms of using a killed whole virus approach Due to ongoing research at the University of Western Ontario, in five years, kids might be able to receive a HIV/AIDS vaccine as they would a mumps or measles shot. Researchers from Western were joined by local representatives from all…